The earliest FIS race ever held on natural snow in the Northern Hemisphere occurred in Fairbanks on this date in 1996. It was also one of the best races that two-time Olympian Ben Husaby ever had.
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FIS President: Johaug Should Get Four-Year Ban
Chelsea LittleOctober 25, 2016
"Normally, if she is guilty, it is very clear that she should receive a 4-year ban," FIS President Gian Franco Kasper said in an interview with Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, while admitting that he had seen no evidence from the case.
Nordic Nation (FS Podcast): Chelsea Little on the Latest; There’s WADA, FIS, Sundby, & Johaug, Too
Jason AlbertOctober 16, 2016
Not such a great summer for the Norwegian Ski Federation and Martin Johnsrud Sundby; now add Therese Johaug to that list. In this podcast episode, FasterSkier Editor-at-Large Chelsea Little discusses these doping cases and the recent IOC meetings where much was discussed, but perhaps not so much decided upon. Have a listen.
Gian Franco Kasper believes that WADA seeking punishments for countries which do not comply with the WADA Code -- for instance, stopping them from hosting international competitions -- goes too far into the realm of "politics."
Time to Ruminate on the 83% Rule: The Future of Classic at the Highest Level
Jason AlbertOctober 7, 2016
To double pole or not to double pole: sometimes it's not even a question for strong-enough skiers. We spoke to a few well-informed individuals on FIS's 83-percent rule and gathered their opinions.
FIS Rules for Shorter Classic Poles to ‘Defend Classic Technique’ (Updated)
BrainspiralOctober 1, 2016
On Friday, the FIS Cross Country Committee passed a new rule requiring that classic pole lengths not exceed 83 percent of an athlete's height. "The rule is intended to keep future athletes from double poling races (and micro-skating) with poles that are close to the head-height limit," explains U.S. head coach Chris Grover, chairman of the FIS Subcommittee for World & Continental Cups.
Doping News: Sundby Defends Asthma Meds; WADA Hacked; IBU Clears Meldonium Athletes
Chelsea LittleSeptember 16, 2016
Martin Johnsrud Sundby blamed his poor performance at 2015 World Championships on stress from his positive doping test, while WADA's scientific director is now commenting that asthma drugs are performance-enhancing at high doses. In addition, Russian hackers released athlete medical records from a WADA database.
The Votes are In, Russia Awarded 2021 IBU World Champs Despite Controversy
Chelsea LittleSeptember 6, 2016
Although the IOC said in July that Russia should not host any international winter sports events due to their systematic doping violations and cheating at the 2014 Olympics, it apparently walked those guidelines back -- and now Russia has been awarded biathlon World Championships, despite the fact that the country is not currently in compliance with the WADA Code.
FIS rules did not require a provisional suspension for Norway's Martin Johnsrud Sundby after his urine samples came back with high concentrations of salbutamol. And after their hearing panel concluded he had broken no rules - a finding later reverse by the Court of Arbitration for Sport - FIS could only publicize the case with Sundby's permission. They say he refused.
A jam-packed episode of the FS podcast -- the McLaren report, athlete commission responses and some analysis from FS Editor-At-Large Chelsea Little.
On Tuesday, the IOC Executive Board responded to the McLaren report and listed provisional measures for international sports federations moving forward. Fortunately for FIS and the IBU, they're not on the same timeline as summer sports, and will convene at a meeting in just over two weeks in Rio.
Sundby Sanctioned for Asthma Medication Use, Stripped of 2015 TdS and Overall World Cup Titles
BrainspiralJuly 20, 2016
News broke Wednesday that Martin Johnsrud Sundby, the three-time defending overall World Cup and Tour de Ski champion, had been handed a two-month sanction and disqualified from two races (and his 2015 Tour de Ski and 2015 overall World Cup titles). "I went into the 2015/2016-season knowing I was innocent, and also that I was acquitted," he said in a press conference. "I think the verdict is totally unreasonable."
FIS Cross-Country recently approved its 2016/2017 World Cup calendar, which includes a lot of the same historical venues plus a few new ones (i.e. Ulricehamn, PyeongChang and World Cup Finals in Tuymen, Russia). It also announced some new rules, including the latest on no-double-pole zones and team quotas.
FIS, IBU Respond to Latest Documentary; Did WADA System Enable Doping Test Evasion?
Chelsea LittleJune 11, 2016
The latest documentary by Hajo Seppelt alleges that Natalia Zhelanova, the anti-doping assistant at Russia's Ministry of Sport, tipped off skiing and biathlon teams before sample collection. Did WADA's ADAMS system, where federations are encouraged to pre-register their planned tests, allow this to happen?
Wednesday Workout: On the Up with Mountain Running World Champ Kasie Enman (with Video)
Gabby NaranjaJune 8, 2016
This week, FasterSkier shares a workout from elite mountain runner Kasie Enman of Huntington, Vt. She divulged her secret to prepping for mountain races and the latest projects she’s been tackling when it comes to mountain running.
For Throwback Thursday, we're reposting a November editorial calling for WADA to investigate doping in winter sports and irregularities at the Sochi Olympics. How many of our questions have been answered in the last six months?
“There needs to be an investigation by WADA,” International Ski Federation (FIS) Secretary General Sarah Lewis told FasterSkier in a phone interview on Monday. “FIS totally supports it and we have already expressed that anything we can provide, we will do. And it needs to be done [quickly], but carefully.”
It's been 15 years since the U.S. hosted a cross-country World Cup. In that time, Canada has hosted such international races on home snow multiple times, most recently with the eight-stage Ski Tour Canada. The cost of hosting World Cups is high and the benefits are sometimes hard to measure. FasterSkier explores how Canada has pulled it off and why the U.S. avoids the risk.
Is Norway taking advantage of a partnership get around new FIS rules limiting the number of team staff allowed on course? Or is Great Britain actually taking advantage of them, to get more expert wax testing? Either way, FIS says that a new partnership that rubs Sweden the wrong way is a-okay.
Chris Grover, Tim Burke Join Call for More Investigation into Doping in Nordic Sports
Chelsea LittleNovember 16, 2015
Following the World Anti-Doping Agency's report on systematic doping in Russian track and field and the failure of RUSADA, the country's anti-doping agency, biathlon star Tim Burke and U.S. Ski Team head coach Chris Grover want their questions investigated.